Residential Fridge install in a 36TK3 ?

[Diesel-Gypsy]

I had a bit of a scare last friday morning when I checked our Dometic fridge, it was not cooling at all.
The rear coils were cold, but the gas flame was working just fine.
Anyway, after a day of fussing with it, and a 200 mile drive it has resusitated itself (for now I guess).

Anyway, as others have done before me, the switch is on the horizon for a residential unit to replace the 10 year old Dometic.

My main quiery is has anyone here done it with a 36TK3?
I ask because the island is within 1" of the fridge door with the slide-out retracted.
I know & have seen some installs on 38TKSB3 models, but I am not sure if those models have so little clearance as mine with the OEM Dometic.
All of the residential refrigerators I have seen have door handles that will definately not work with the island placement on my 36TK3.

Also, I see that most residential fridges seem to set out proud of the cabinet space the Dometic resides in, thus further aggravating the clearance problems with the fridge swap.
So, any & all input on this future project would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Rick

[wingnut60]

Not sure how similar it would be, but if you search here for posts by billr, you will see how he put a residential unit in a 38RL. But he originally had the smaller fridge, not the side x side fridge.
Joe

[porkchop]

I just had a a Samsung RF197 installed this week at Paul Cross' in my 36TKS. Lost the drawer below the fridge. Everything else is good. Glad to see the old one go. They did an excellent good job at a fair price. I would highly recommend them.

Bill

[GlennWest]

That will not fit in my tk3

[Diesel-Gypsy]

Bill, I think my problems are specific to the 36TK3 model.
What is a TKS?

What Bill R did is quite different, his 38RL3 is not much like a 36TK3.

Rick

[terry and jo]

We are one of those that installed in a 38TKSB3. I got in touch with a few other Suite owners that had also installed a residential to get as much information as I could.

Then, I wrote a bunch of blog entries regarding our research and modification. There is a thread here with links to all of that. Some of those links are to threads on the SOITC forums, so in order to see all thie photos, you would need to log in over there. My blog entries don't need any registration.

http://www.5thwheelforums.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3690&highlight=saga+residential+refrigerator

Now, with regards to the doors and the island, we have a peninsula and I agonized over my measurements as to how much clearance we would have between the fridge handles and the cabinet. That worry was all in vain. I had forgotten to calculate that to put in the fridge, we had to life it up about 9 inches to get it into the slide. That 9 inches put the handles up above the counter top.

Terry

[Diesel-Gypsy]

Terry after looking at all the information you posted , which I am very grateful for, I think I see one of the problems looming for me.
I think my older trailer, does not have the same slide-out height that your newer model has.

What is the measurement in your trailer of the slide-out height?
Please measure from the floor to the vinyl ceiling in the slide.
I can get an opening of 70" tall, but that is from a starting point of 4" above the floor.
I believe your starting heght off the floor may be higher, that difference locates the freezer door handle higher off the floor.

I think I will go to lowes for a measuring session.
Thanks,
Rick

[terry and jo]

You are right. We had to lower the "original floor" for the Dometic by a few inches in order to get the Samsung into the slide. The new "floor" for the refrigerator compartment is about 9 1/2 inches above the floor of the kitchen. It is a bit difficult to measure exactly with the refrigerator in the compartment, but it looks like there is 70 inches between the new compartment floor and the top of the slide.

That still allows us room to reach in underneath and adjust rollers if we need to do so.

Terry

[Diesel-Gypsy]

Terry, that confirms my theory that your model / year has a taller slide.
You have 9.5" between the kitchen floor and the floor of the refrigerator floor, in my 2004 model there is just 4".

It will be a tight squeeze, but I think it is doable.

The other measurement is the width of the opening.
I have to work with no more than 32", there just isn't anymore.

Thanks,
Rick

[terry and jo]

It looks like our compartment width is about 33 inches, and that leaves us with about 1/2 inch or so on each side. When one gets close to the width of the compartment, then one needs to realize that the door would have to "stick out" a bit so the doors would open correctly. Depending on the model one has, that "sticking out" could interfere with the island/counter.

Terry

[Diesel-Gypsy]

I think I have found "THE" most limiting factor for this fridge swap.
The depth of the fairly popular Samsung 197 is 28".
Most or at least many of the fridges I measured in Lowes yesterday were in the 30" depth variety.

On this 2004 36TK3 the original Dometic 12 CuFt. measures 26" from the front face wood panelling to the inside back wall of the slide.
What that actually means is the depth of the fridge compartment is only 25", the additional 1" is the doors thickness, which are "sticking out" of the cabinet.

With the slide closed there is barely an inch of clearance between the fridge door & the counter-top.

I think even cutting away the counter so it is flush with the cabinet will only provide an inch more of the much needed clearance.
So, it seems I need to find a fridge with a depth of no more than 26" , and that is total depth from the door surface to the very back.

Any ideas from the group on this project will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Rick

[hitchup]

When I was doing my research for Dometic replacements, you need to look for Counter-depth refrigerators. Usually more expensive than those floor models for some reason.

They are not always found in stock at Sears, Home Depot, etc. So most people end up ordering one.

We considered a Fisher-Paykel as well as Samsung or Whirlpool.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_538253-45535-RF170ADX4_4294857967__?productId=50068597&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=

[terry and jo]

Over on the SOITC forums, someone mentioned a brand called Fisher and Paykel. In addition to the french style fridges, they have some "regular" styles, some of which are less than 14 cubic foot. Maybe they have something that would fit your needs.

http://www.fisherpaykel.com/us/kitchen/fridges-freezers/fridges/

Terry

[layne]

This is a problem we are also facing with depth of the fridge. I don't mind losing the bottom drawer or even the spice doors to the right of the 12 cubic foot fridge, but depth is the problem We have the granite which extends at least 4 inches beyond the counter. I haven't found anything that will fit other than something a lot smaller that is 2 door.